How Tech Is Transforming the Beauty Industry

It’s almost redundant to say that the beauty world is constantly changing and evolving, and in no small part due to technology. Yes, the Digital Age has been a true game changer when it comes to a great many aspects of our lives, beauty included. This, of course, goes beyond using digital devices in order to read reviews, be a part of the conversation (whether that conversation is about inclusivity, quality or something else entirely).

No, technology has gone much further than that, and you might not even be familiar with all the ways it’s impacting our beauty lives, improving them and making them plain simpler, so for all of you who are still a bit fuzzy on the true impact of technology, let’s explore this subject together.

At home luxury

There’s no denying it – we all crave that perfect, deeply purified complexion and an almost unattainable level of flawlessness. We have subjected ourselves to numerous treatments, but as we all know, these take a toll on our wallet. Then came such products as Foreo – their #whattheforeo had kept us on our toes. Many people were in love with the electronic cleanser, but this new UFO product seems to have blown everyone’s mind. A cleanser and a 90-second mask that promises we’ll forgo sheet masks for good? Definitely intriguing, and according to reviews, worth the hype as well as the secrecy.

Of course, there is the trusty Clarisonic, with cleansing and non-cleansing variants of its new electronic makeup brush – we don’t know what to invest in first. From regular beauty blenders and wash cloths to electronic miracles that pamper you, in only a few years, it’s almost unbelievable. And then, comes Kerastase Hair Coach Powered by Withings that has a tiny mic that actually sends data to a mobile app as you brush your hair, and analyzes your hair completely – from levels of frizziness, general texture and it even catches split ends. The data is gathered in order to provide you with the best course of action for your hair. A brush, connected to an app that diagnoses everything to the condition of your scalp – is it us, or is the beauty industry starting to resemble a very good Sci-Fi movie.

According to Forbes, aside from this, there are such innovations as NailBot, My UV Patch and Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, all of which have such innovative and inventive features that we have a hard time believing these products actually exist.

With just a few clicks

When it comes to beauty, there seem to be no more risks, no more hits and misses. Every major beauty company always has a number of operators ready to chat with you, address your concerns, give you advice on which products are most suitable for you – everyone from Sephora to MAC has that little chat window that can chase all your troubles away. And this isn’t even the full extent of the digital customer service. Now you have apps such as Mind Beauty, which is a Beauty & Wellness Booking APP in Hong Kong, and this is just one of the countless apps that you can use to book makeup, spa, hair appointments – the works. You can do it all from the comfort of your home (or anywhere else you are) and never have to make a phone call or an appearance ever again.

Booking apps aren’t the only mobile app helpers – no, you can now find your perfect foundations shade using the Skin Match app, and the buzz on the street is that it’s even more reliable than testing a product in the store. We now even have an abundance of apps that allow us to test out different hairstyles and colors before taking the plunge.

On the spot

Now, before you discard the brick-and-mortar store experience altogether, wait a minute and find out what new goodies these actual stores have ‘in store’ for you. For instance, there is Sephora skin care IQ that runs a complete diagnostic of your skin type, concerns and provides solutions that seem almost custom-made for you.

Then there’s Harrods’ IOMA machine and Organic Pharmacy’s DNA test as well as Panasonic’s Magic Mirror that does everything from suggesting new makeup looks to analyzing your skin. It is estimated that these types of technological innovations will ‘abandon’ the stores and roll right into your homes quite soon, all for the purpose of making your purchasing decisions easier, and effective in terms of accuracy and product satisfaction.

The paying game

Apps like Apple’s Apple Pay and Google Wallet, which of course will provide maximum payment security along with the convenience will forever change the way we actually pay for our purchased products. Aside from these digital wallets, there’s the possibility of monetizing tweets in the foreseeable future, and to top things off, you might not even be receiving your packages the old-fashioned way soon, not if Amazon’s drone delivery service gains momentum.

Reading reviews online and simply adding to basket seemed like such an enormous change, but now that we have taken a peek into the real power of technology and its current and future impact on the beauty industry, all we can do is sit and wait for the next big thing to come along and pull the rug under our feet.

Sophia Smith is Australian based beauty and fashion blogger. She is very passionate about latest fashion trends, DIY projects and organic beauty products. Sophia writes mostly in beauty and fashion related topics, mainly through blogs and articles. She is a regular contributor at High Style Life and many other blogs.
You can find out more about her writing following her on Twitter @sophia_bri